Kit Up's Person of the Year: The US and Allied Warfighter

21 Dec 2011

Kit Ups Person of The Year: The Warfighter

Military.com Editor Ward Carroll wrote a great piece for the Huffington Post (click here) about Time magazines bad decision to elect "The Protestor" as their person of the year. I encourage you to check out Ward's write up, it's a good piece.

I was walking through the airport yesterday morning on my way to VA for work, then I get a phone call from my editor at St. Martin's to inform me that my manuscript The Red Circle (it stuck..yes!) was going to be crashed out to market in time for a Fathers Day release (apparently he couldn't put it down). It was the type of phone call that makes you feel a bit better after investing in ton of hard work, sleepless nights and the other sh** life throws at you. And what does all this have to do with the Warfighter?

As I was reflecting on my own time in Iraq and Afghanistan and now other ventures far removed from the Military. It just hit me like a hard smack to the face by an interrogator in SERE school. What about the Warfighter?

How about acknowledging the group that has shouldered the brunt of US policy and sacrificed beyond recognition for the free world years on end. Decades of sacrifice that ultimately results in a safer world and provides fertile ground for democracy to take root and freedom for the "Protester" to engage in the right to stand up. And oh yeah, we got OBL this year and it was the combined efforts of the Warfighter (One Team, One Fight).

Who is the Warfighter?

It's the kid who volunteered to enlist in the Army in highschool, became a man in Ranger selection and lost his brothers in the Mountains of the Hindu Kush.

The young mom who's reserve unit got deployed to Iraq for a year and saw things no young woman should ever have to witness.

The allied SAS operator who kissed his wife and two kids goodbye for the last time.

The SEAL Admiral who planned one of the greatest raids in history.

The Devil dog who would have given it all up to save his brothers and was awarded the MOH for his courage under fire.

The young lady who did three tours in Iraq with her Army unit and is now working hard Intel assets for a three letter agency in Pakistan.

That's sacrifice in my opinion. And just the top of the mountain, I could go on with examples like these until my Mac Pro would finally give out on me.

When you bundle up all that the Warfighter has cumulatively accomplished and look at the results this year, it is impressive.

Protesting is a good thing in some cases, it puts social pressure on large organizations to take time and reflect and often this drives change. The US protester should be encouraged and emboldened by the knowledge that the Warfighter is promoting and protecting democracy and their right to protest globally.